Black Widows
by HedwigFan101
Summary: Soulmate AU. Ruby Rose and Cinder Fall are in love. Pyrrha Nikos is a former gladiator fighting a war with her own heart. Coco Adel is dead in the eyes of the world, and in a way, she is. Four tendrils of fire in a world up in flames. Summer Rose is back. Roman Torchwick is not at all willing to let go, not anymore. So many stories collide, and the black widows will bite...
1. Falling Petals

A/N: Okay, _Black Widows_ is right now a one-shot, BUT if y'all wanna see more Falling Petals love, drop a review and I'll try my best!

–

Ruby Rose glanced out the window. A woman was racing across the courtyard. She was vaguely familiar, and on impulse Ruby raced outside. Glancing around, Ruby pulled out her scroll and tapped it a few times. A locker landed in the courtyard a moment later, flipped open, and revealed her sweetheart Crescent Rose.

Ecstatic, Ruby grinned as she grabbed her weapon and raced after the figure. _The CT Tower!_

It was a minute or more after the figure got there that Ruby raced through the tower, went up the elevator, and walked cautiously into the room. Between her shoulder blades, where the soulmark that Ruby possessed lay, there was a warm sensation, and Ruby's heart fluttered. Could she be about to meet her soulmate?

Everyone had a soulmate. Everyone had a soulmark, always between their shoulder blades. It was a fashion trend for anyone over the age of twelve to wear clothes designed to reveal your soulmark. When you met your soulmate, the mark turned the color of your soulmate's aura. It was just an outline until then. A warm glow was a sign you were about to have your first meeting with your soulmate. But you had to be close. After the mark filled in, you were drawn to your soulmate, whom it was impossible for you to have negative feelings for. The part of you that loved and felt was 'blended' with your soulmate's so that the end result was a couple who felt mostly the same thing in regards to the world.

"Hello?" Ruby asked, scanning the room. A woman not much older than Ruby, probably about the age of a first or second Academy year, with black hair, amber eyes, and a black outfit with a long sleeved black shirt and long pants covered her, and she wore archer's gloves. She also were a mask.

Their eyes met, and Ruby felt a bolt of emotion and light as her soulmark under her dress acknowledged the presence of Ruby's soulmate.

The woman's molten amber eyes like two crystallized pieces of honey stared back at her, and the gleam told Ruby that this woman was her soulmate.

The woman's lips breathed, "What is your name?"

Ruby melted at the sound of her voice. "Ruby Rose. And you?"

"Cinder Fall," was all Ruby heard before arms were thrown and lips locked. But then, Cinder didn't need any more words.

–

Ruby giggled as she and Cinder sat on the edge of Beacon Cliffs. Being soulmates, they had decided to take some time to get to know each other. After all, couldn't hurt.

Cinder had thrown one arm around Ruby, and was singing a soft song.

"_We can escape, we can evolve!_

_Achieving anything as long as our heart's resolved!_

_Because there's a time when we'll stand outnumbered!_

_Where the wolves and the soulless will rise!_

_In the time of our final moment, every dream dies!_

_When we stand with friends, and we won't retreat!_

_When we stare down death, then the taste is sweet!_

_There's a moment that changes a life when,_

_We do something that no-one else can._

_And our faith and courage will lead us_

_One final stand..."_

Ruby felt the song creep into her soul and touch the bond she now shared with Cinder, tentatively, carefully. Words came to her.

"_There's a light that shines, and it's power is mine!_

_Though our body's weak and breakable,_

_Our spirit is indomitable!_

_The battle seems unwinnable,_

_But all we need's a miracle..._

_When we lose our faith, and forsake our friends!_

_When we succumb to fear, and we've reach our end!_

_Just remember, my world transcends, my sorrow ends!_

_Because there's a light that shines, and it's power is mine!_

_Though our body's weak and breakable,_

_Our spirit is indomitable!_

_Though this battle seems unwinnable,_

_All you need's my miracle..."_

Excited, Cinder turned slightly toward her more and grabbed Ruby's hands. Ruby gave her complete attention to Cinder, and listened to the idea.

"Let's run into Emerald Forest!" Cinder cried, and Ruby liked the idea. She nodded.

–

A/N: So, how do you like it so far? Any RWBY fans should instantly recognize parts of the song that Ruby and Cinder sing. I took inspiration and lines from a few songs, Indomitable, Triumph, and I May Fall.

So, drop a review if you would like to see more. If I get at least half the reviewers wanting to continue, I will!

Oh, and for those of you who are wondering, the title comes from Ruby and Cinder's personalities and capabilities. They are deadly. Ruby's color is red. Cinder's personality is dark, thus black. Black Widows are deadly black-and-red spiders.

Lastly, fair warning, every chapter will be short and containing at least some song from RWBY. If you don't like that, don't say I didn't warn you.


	2. Red Embers

A/N: Wow, you guys really did like it. Or is it because I ended it on a cliffhanger? Neither? Both? Hmm. Anyways, there will be more other soulmate mentions in this chapter, okay?

Onwards!

–

Ecstasy trilled through Ruby Rose as she raced through the Emerald Forest. This was what she was meant to do. This was her destiny. Trouncing her soulmate with so much glee that she cried tears of joy.

Idly, Ruby wondered if Yang and Blake were this happy, or Jaune and Pyrrha, or even Ren and Nora. All three couples had fallen in love at some point. Ruby had heard it described from Yang.

–

"_Yang?"_

"_Yeah, Ruby?"_

"_What was it like, meeting Blake?"  
_

_At this, her big sister smiled. "Like nothing mattered as long as the harmony could exist for us. We still will fight, but meeting Blake was like becoming whole. Before, I always felt like a piece of me was missing. An important piece. I just missed something, needed something, to be whole. I think Blake feels the same way..."_

–

"Ruby?"

She was on a cliff with Cinder. The moon shone far above and howls of Grimm in the distance didn't unnerve Ruby. All was well. She was safe with Cinder, and all was well. But, Cinder had asked a question.

"Yeah, Cinder?"

"Why do you want to be a Huntress?"

That didn't even make her flinch. "Because I wanted to help people. All my family, they were a team at Beacon, though I don't see my uncle much or Yang's mother at all. My mother was also a Huntress. Runs in the family, I guess."

Satisfied, Cinder didn't ask another question.

–

"Hey Cinder! We were just looking for you," Emerald exclaimed.

"Relax, I decided to take a stroll in the forest," she explained. Not a lie, but not the whole truth, either.

As Cinder walked past them, Emerald interrupted her again. "Your soulmark got activated. Who is it?"

Not in the mood, Cinder lied. "You'll find out tomorrow, I'm tired."

Mercury came up behind Emerald. "You already know who it is, don't you?"

"Of course. The girl with the red cloak, what's-her-face?" Emerald questioned.

"How am I supposed to know?"

–

Weiss, Blake, and Yang had a similar reaction to Ruby's soulmark, which was even more on display.

"This means you're grown up now!" Yang shouted in glee.

Nervously, Ruby chuckled. "By that logic, Ren and Nora were grown ups when they were like five."

"You have to admit, she has a point," Weiss conceded.

"Yeah," Yang sighed.

But Weiss wasn't done. "Although, you do too. Congratulations, Ruby!"

It was Blake who asked The Question.

"Who is it?"

At that Ruby froze. _Just a part of the truth. Just a part._ "One of the transfer students."

–

The next day, Ruby walked into the cafeteria for breakfast and froze at the sight.

Cinder's team was getting briefed on something.

But more importantly, Ruby recognized one of the other girls on Cinder's team. She had seen the woman once before, and the eyes were a dead giveaway.

Pink. Brown.

Neopolitan.

–

A/N: Romantic moonlight scene. Info on who the other soulmates are. Suspicions. All in all, a good chapter. I think. But the favorites will tell me.

One of the readers asked a few questions via PM. For privacy's sake, I will not reveal the name. But the questions made me realize that it was possible to misunderstand a few things, namely the title, the planned future of this fanfic, and how soulmates/marks work in this universe.

The title. Black Widows. It does have to do with the spider, namely its distinguishing traits: color and deadliness. Cinder is a very dark individual, and Ruby's color is red. They are both talented fighters, deadly in their own right.

Soul-bonds. A person is born with a soulmark between their shoulder blades. It is just a black outline at first, and this is their emblem. When they meet their soulmate, the mark fills in with the color of their soulmate's Aura. When their soulmate dies, the mark vanishes completely, and they become lethargic and depressed, often suicidal. That's what happened to Qrow. A piece of their soulmate's Aura is bound to them via the soulmark, and through this they share a bond; with their mate's death the shard also dies, destroying an essential part of them.


	3. Soulmate Mission and Dad

A/N: Sorry for the wait! Here's the next chapter.

–

The bonded students were taking missions.

"Welcome. You have all been fortunate enough to meet your soulmate, or in some cases, soulmates." The glance toward Coco, Velvet, and Fox didn't go unnoticed by Ruby. Ozpin continued. "There are moments in life where you will be separated. But all of the bonds in here were meant to be. Thousands of years ago, according the the Story of the Souls, the goddess Fayt sought to bind souls together, so that in the scheme of life only those who truly were destined for despair would get it. So she bound the souls by hand, and the bond was always marked by what we now call a soulmark.

"But it is now time for these bonds to be tested in battle. Each of you will be facing great trials and tribulations along the way, and before you go and choose your mission, a word of warning. Everyone here fights the Grimm. They seek nothing more than to hurt you, and if one person dies, then whoever is left...will not have any sort of way to survive. I hope that all of you can be mindful not to take on a job that's too much for you. Good luck."

At the end of the short speech, Cinder immediately grabbed Ruby and pointed to a board. "This one's in Patch. Aren't you from there?"

With a nod, Ruby followed Cinder to the board. It was simple, an Escort mission. The job was to ensure that some Dust got to where it needed to go safely. To Signal, where it was probably to be used in training, or to power something.

The two young women looked at each other in agreement and nodded. Ruby tapped the board and typed in her name before stepping aside and letting Cinder put hers in.

The two grinned at each other.

"This will be fun," Cinder said gleefully.

–

It was boring right until they reached Signal.

Apparently Ruby's dad was the one waiting for the Dust, and he had a conflicted look on his face when he saw the pair.

"Hey Ruby! How are you?" he asked excitedly. Then his face fell on Cinder, and his expression darkened. But he didn't saw anything.

Ruby gave him a hug, and her dad took it. He was still staring at Cinder though.

"I've seen you before," he decided eventually.

With a shake of her head, Cinder dissuaded him. "This is the first time we've spoken, so it was probably just seeing me somewhere else. I'm from Haven."

Dad nodded with a slight frown. He turned to Ruby again. "How's Yang?"

Ruby smiled. "Oh..."

–

"_Are you kidding? It was awesome!" Yang practically screamed._

"_It really wasn't. We almost got killed," Blake reasoned._

"_Oh, come on, it was fine," Yang tossed back at her._

_The two girls had had a Search and Destroy mission with Professor Ooblek, and they had gone to the Southeast. They _had_ almost died on a train, but Ruby, Cinder, and Coco's team had helped Vale with the following Grimm infestation._

_Weiss muttered from a few feet away as she sighed at Jaune and Pyrrha. "Really, I don't know what she sees in him."_

–

Her dad chuckled. "Typical Yang."

Ruby nodded and laughed. Cinder butted Ruby with her elbow. "Ruby, I have just received a message. Now that we're done, we need to get back to Beacon."

Ruby's dad was disappointed, but he waved them good-bye, and they parted ways...for now.

–

A/N: I just had to put in a part about Cinder meeting Taiyang. It seems reasonable to me that since Taiyang was in on 'the truth', Qrow would tell him a bit about Amber and what happened to her, and by extension, Taiyang would have a general description of Cinder, and she might ring bells.

So yeah. See you next time!


	4. Blossoming Rose

A/N: Alright, I wanted to put in a little bit of content sort of. This is a set up for later. Just...trust me on this, alright?

–

_...Day 4,197._

_That's what...eleven? Twelve years? I can't really tell._

_Stupid cell. I can't believe that she would wait so long. It's just...she got what she wanted. Why keep me around? A woman with two soulmarks is only trouble in this scenario._

_I can feel it...he's still out there, that dusty old crow. His sis must really be having a hard time. Oh, right. I forgot that he left. I still remember them, they would never stop bickering..._

_Four thousand, one hundred, and ninety seven._

_Four thousand, one hundred, and ninety seven._

_Four thousand, one hundred, and ninety seven._

_Four thousand, one hundred, and ninety seven..._

_And you, old witch. Are you ever done with me? Because you will _not_ break me. I won't let you. I may fall, but not like this. It won't be by your hand._

_My semblance...I wonder if it will work?_

A light shone, and the woman's eyes flashed a dark crimson red.

_A young woman, black hair with red tips and silver eyes, smiling as she spoke to a wild, blonde haired girl with lavender eyes, a cat faunus and white haired girl standing nearby and giggling._

_A black haired man with pale red eyes, a sword over his shoulder and a solemn look on his face. Creatures of Grimm are dissolving behind him._

_A woman with a wild black mane and dark, soulful red eyes with reddish pink fire burning on the outside of her eyes, staring at the girl with silver eyes as she tried to support a black haired woman in the middle of a forest at night._

She snapped from the trance and stared off into space to clear her head.

_You may have won the battle and shattered the moon, Salem, but you won't win the war. A body is weak, breakable, yes. But the spirit, the _soul, _that is indomitable._

–

A/N: Go ahead and hate me. But please do notice that I never named the woman in this chapter.

Since I'm writing this the Saturday before volume 7, chapter 12, I am going to go ahead and say that I will not add information to previous chapters as it is discovered. I will instead rely on headcannons of mine and factor in info as it is revealed. Please be patient, no I do not abandon stories easily.

By the way, first to correctly guess who the woman is can request a RWBY one-shot. I will not make it known who it was, and _please_ do so in a PM so as to keep the secret.

Oh, and anyone wanna take a stab at who the soulmarks connect her to?

Ciao!


	5. Late Nights

A/N: Alright, since _that_ is out of my system, we can _finally_ have plot development. It has been slow as a snail so far, but I'm jumping with this chapter, so hopefully we can get stuff done.

And also, you may notice the lack of both disclaimers and pleas for follows, favorites, and reviews. In my opinion, all waste time. That's not to say I _don't _want the ambrosia of the Sacred Three, I just don't go out of my way to ask (But please?). As for disclaimers, no I don't own RWBY, and I will not say it again.

–

Qrow sighed and smiled at the text and pic that Yang had sent him. He was happy that Ruby had finally found her soulmate. With a sigh, Qrow reached over his shoulder and onto his back, touching the soulmark he had. The white rose. Or, it was supposed to be white. It was crimson red now. Qrow still felt as though Summer was dead, but the mark clearly showed that she was alive, and that was a bit of comfort. He didn't know why. When the matter had come up a few months ago in Ozpin's office, they had all been shocked to find out.

Before he even walked into the bar, he spotted the ship. Schnee was here. _Winter, you little...don't __**ever**__ come between me and my girls again._

He was very protective of his four girls. Raven, Summer, Ruby, and Yang. Yeah, no-one got between him and their safety. Raven may not want his protection, but really, he had a brother part to play.

He still remembered that conversation.

–

"_Qrow, stop meddling with my life!"_

"_Raven! Really, I'm your twin brother and goddamn hell I'm going to keep you safe from anything I can!"_

"_When did I ask for your protection anyways?"_

"_You didn't. Not since we were little kids, anyway. Remember that?"_

"_Ugh, DON'T remind me."_

_That last part was punctuated by a punch to the throat._

–

The time when they were kids had been when Raven was disarmed in a fight. She ended up yelling at him, twenty yards from Omen, to give her her sword back. He never let it go, even twenty five years later.

But right now, that was irrelevant. Specialist Schnee endangered his family.

_No-one_ hurt his family, no matter how drunk he was.

–

_Hmm. Someone's being a bitch. Knowing those two, I am not all that surprised. Quite different, in fact; it's to be expected._

_I'm just glad that that weird torture is over. Really, Salem is going through so much effort just to try and break me...she's an idiot for once, unless there's something I haven't realized yet..._

_But back to the matter at hand. I need to get out of here._

_Roman, my love, where are you?_

–

The door was banged on several times, and Ruby sat straight up, her partner Cinder still snoozing. Lightly, she shook her soulmate awake, and whispered, "I think we need to get dressed in something else."

The previous night, the rest of Team CMEN (Crimson) had been banished to the hallway, save Neo, so Ruby and Cinder could spend their first night together. Ruby was just happy it was a clean night, sure they kissed a couple times but both wore pajamas the entire night. Most importantly, no hands slipped.

Cinder sat bolt upright, and very quickly donned a blouse and yoga pants, both black, and shoved a matching outfit at Ruby. Like everything else for teens and up, the soulmark was exposed. Dressed, the two girls went outside where, as it turned out, Team RWBY had migrated from their dorm to 'rescue' their leader from Team CMEN. Upon finding Emerald and Mercury shivering on the ground outside, they decided that Blake and Yang should attempt to beat down the door, as neither member of the older team were allowed to take their Scrolls out.

Sometime in the hushed but angry few minutes after Ruby and Cinder emerged with Neo, Yang shouted. Instantly, they all froze, hearing footsteps before the familiar face of Coco Adel poked out of the door next to CMEN's dorm.

"Hush!" she insisted. "You've woken the whole team with your shouting. Some of us are trying to sleep here! We've had a bad enough time getting sleep lately, and neither me nor any of my teammates needs your shouting!"

At her insistence, they quieted down. Well, that and Coco's two soulmates, Fox and Velvet, poking their heads out as well. All three gave the group an annoyed stare before they went ramrod straight and began silence and tiptoeing. Well, except for Cinder's whisper to Ruby.

"Wanna go in the gym and work out? I can show you something really cool."

The others glared at her, but Ruby nodded.

–

In the gym, Cinder turned on the lights to make sure there was no equipment out, and after confirming that there was not, she turned them back off and guided an eager Ruby to the center, before a twinkling bluish light began dancing around the three, causing their clothes to glow slightly, and making lovely light blue flame-like designs on their outfits. Cinder took Ruby's hand in her own, put Ruby's other hand on her shoulder, and placed her own right hand on Ruby's side.

"Cin?"

"Yes, Ruby?" Cinder breathed.

"I don't know how to dance."

"I do. Simply tap into my knowledge. You'll be fine," Cinder assured the nervous younger girl.

"...okay."

And then the beautiful ritual commenced. Ice spread from Cinder's feet, and a slight glow encompassed both of their eyes as Ruby tapped into Cinder's knowledge and experience to learn how to dance. Light glittered around them like stars, and the two soulmates found themselves in perfect harmony with each other.

They had no idea that on the other side of the world, almost, certainly very far away, in a place only one of them had been, a person that the other cherished all memory of was waiting, and that their world was about to be tipped upside down.

–

A/N: I made an effort to have a _slightly_ longer chapter this time, as there was more I wanted to cover in order to make up for lost time. Plus, I am considering _another_ fanfiction, which will be burdensome, so, yeah.

A few points. In case it was not clear, everything after Qrow's POV happens the night before Qrow's monologue thingy. Also, more Mysterious Woman! Most of you have probably guessed it by now, so I threw that last line in. This will likely be a very "Wait, WHAT?!" fanfic. Also, another point. Ruby and Cinder had a CLEAN night! Do not make me say it again! Please!

Keep an eye out for my Black Widows related oneshot. Currently I am leaning toward the title _Diamond in the Rough._ But that may change. Also, for fans of my Harry Potter stories, I will soon publish a oneshot. It will be a trailer for a story I'm considering. However, I really don't want to commit to something so unsure and weird, so I'm publishing a trailer. Please check it out! It will be soon.

One more thing. Cinder has two soulmarks. I wanted to put team JNPR in the hallway scene, but it wouldn't work with one of my plans.

:)

Ciao!


	6. Ignite the Flames

A/N: PLOT! FINALLY! I really could not stop at some points, so this is probably the longest chapter in the story.

–

It was a sad night for a lonely flame-haired man, sitting in 'solitary confinement'. He was passing the time by recalling his long-lost soulmate.

She had been his friend when they were children, and when his parents died, sorry, gave up from the Apathy, she was the only one who much cared. Their status as soulmates had never been known, as they both pretended to simply not have met their soulmate yet. But then the Apathy had come, and then she had done something. What, though, he wasn't sure.

–

"_Run!"_

"_I can't–"_

"_I said RUN!"_

_She pushed him away, then turned to face the Apathy, who were advancing on her. He couldn't take his eyes away as the Apathy's effect started to sink in now that the adrenaline was beginning to fade. And then, all became white as wings (or ribbons, maybe) of light poured from his friend. The Apathy screamed one last time as they were burned. His friend collapsed to the ground as it faded._

_He ran over to her. "Come on, come on! Wake up!"_

_She didn't._

_But she was breathing, and he scooped her lithe, light body in his arms and began walking._

_It was a long way to Argus, and then he needed to get her someplace secure._

"_Soon, my Blossoming Rose. Soon."_

–

Roman Torchwick fondly recalled the girl who he had loved, a girl who saved his life. The Blossoming Rose. Maybe if he hadn't lost her, he wouldn't have had to turn to crime. Just as he was thinking this, his cell door opened. Neo was standing there, smirking, twirling his hat on the end of the cane. Quickly he fixed his crime boss persona back in place.

"About damn time."

–

_No. NO. NO!_

_She knows, she knows, she knows!_

_Qrow's going to burn me alive! First Cinder attack me with her proteges, then I run off as soon as my mark tells me–Bad Amber! I still don't know if Oscar is okay! Dammit, Oscar, you just have to live in Mistral, don't you?_

_And great, Salem knows I have a soulmate. Damn Cinder for shooting me where she did! When I see her next, she is **dead.**_

_I have to find him. I have to protect him._

Her Scroll rang. Still running, she pulled it out and put it to one ear. It was Qrow.

"_Hey, Amber? You hear me?"_

"Yeah. Could you be quick, I'm in a hurry."

"_Alright. Beacon's under attack."_

Well, that was a doozy. Amber sighed.

"Okay. Qrow, I'm in Mistral. I won't be able to get there in time."

"_Chasing after the kid again?"_

"Hey! No flaming about Oscar!"

"_Relax, he's a good, honest, hardworking kid. I just can't stand him because he's your soulmate."_

"I'm not far from the farm. I wouldn't be doing this, but problem is that Salem found out. I can't let him get hurt."

"_Jeez, calm down. I didn't mean it as an insult. Anyways, you might wanna be careful. I'm busy here."_

"Thanks. I have to hang up now."

Amber slipped her Scroll back in her pocket and continued running. She was a fairly fast runner, and only a couple of miles from the farm.

But she would have to stop soon.

As her stamina started to give out, she leaned against a tree.

Gods, it was a long way to the farm. Only two more miles, but still. She really hated the journey to the farm. Cut off from civilization, it didn't attract Grimm much simply because the residents were content and happy people with good hearts.

Especially Oscar Pine.

–

Flashback: Qrow and Winter

Winter glared daggers and Grimm at Qrow. "I would think that you would have enough sense to stay away these past thirteen years. But obviously not."

"Hey, Sunshine."

"**Stop** calling me that," she growled.

"You and I both know you like it," he teased.

"We are not arguing about this with my sister around," Winter said. "Last time we argued, we both lost someone we loved. I will not risk that again."

"Neither will I," Qrow said, just loud enough for Winter to hear.

"Sierra, Qrow. _**Sierra!**_" Winter shouted. "How can you be such a lying, deceitful, selfish _bitch?!"_

Turning around, Winter stormed off, passing by Ruby and Weiss. "Weiss. Let's go." Looking sadly at Ruby, Weiss scurried off.

–

"Winter? What was that about? Who is he?"

For several moments, Winter was silent. "It's...a long story, Weiss. The shortened version is that he's your brother in law."

Weiss nearly choked on her tea. "What?! You two were married?"

"Oh, more than that Weiss. We were in love. Qrow had just graduated from Beacon roughly two years prior. We met by chance, on a mission, and ended up staying together for a good while. General Ironwood later told me that he and the other members of Ozpin's inner circle had realized that Qrow and I were soulmates, but that was long after what happened."

Concerned, Weiss put her tea down. "What was it?"

"He called me Sunshine one day instead of Frosty like I was used to. Apparently he was still a bit in love with his team leader from Beacon, Summer Rose. He used to call her Sunshine. I got offended and we had a fight. You probably won't remember this, Weiss, but I used to fight with a different weapon. It was similar to yours, and used Dust in many of the same ways. Mainly, five types: gravity, lightning, ice, wind, and fire." She paused. "We lived in a cabin in the woods at the time, and during the fight we had he cracked the Fire Dust compartment, and some of it got out."

Weiss's eyes widened. "But you two weren't hurt, right?!"

Winter sighed. "Sometimes, I really wish I had been. You must have been paying attention, someone was hurt."

Thinking back, Weiss recalled the name that Winter had been agitated about. "Sierra?"

With a deft nod, Winter continued. "Sierra is your niece."

Too much. Weiss paused. "She was your daughter?"

"Yes. After our fight, we haven't found her. I have been looking, but...no mention of a Sierra Branwen anywhere. Or anyone matching her description. We lived in Vale, so it couldn't have been Qrow's sister, but...you get my point."

Weiss's brain crashed.

End Flashback

–

"How many people have you hurt to get here?"

"Hmm. I know you, Pyrrha Nikos. And I'm glad to say it could have been a lot more if I hadn't had Ruby."

Graceful and beautiful, yet dangerous. All three words could be used to describe both young women in the room. Feeling a peculiar warmth in their backs, an odd sense of completion filled them.

–

Having just been ejected from a rocket launcher, Jaune fell to his knees. Pyrrha was going after a madwoman! He had faith in Pyrrha's skills, but she had organized the Fall of Beacon!

–

Leaning on his cane, Roman decided that he had better places to be. "Neo, that's enough." Turning to the red-cloaked figure, he smiled arrogantly. _Rose, don't kill me. I'm trying._ "Well, Ruby Rose, we can all say that I was right. You are _persistent._ Just like your mother. Now Neo, could you be a dear and give her a solid whack in the head?"

Still shocked, Ruby was defenseless against the head blow, and she passed out.

–

Qrow and several other huntsmen were trying to take down the dragon. But they needed more firepower, and a _lot_ more. In a single burst.

One of the Huntsmen seemed to have a solution. "I think there's a Beacon student who can fire bullets with such force that a small amount can tear Nevermores in half, in a moment."

"Most of them fled," he said. "Cowards. Know their name?"

"Um, I think it's Coco Adel?"

it was Professor Goodwitch who recognized the name. And Qrow, but he stayed quiet for her part. "That's right. I believe she didn't flee, General Ironwood mentioned that her team stayed behind to fight. She's team leader, and not a bad one. Not the best for close combat, true, but still good for this situation."

"She and that other guy on her team got their asses kicked." Qrow objected. "By one person, mostly."

–

If she had heard it, Coco would have resented that statement. But she hadn't.

And she was busy when her Scroll rang. Not one to be outdone by a simple Scroll call, she answered. It was Professor Goodwitch.

"Miss Adel, you're the one person here who could have the most firepower in terms of sheer force. We need you to get close and aim your fire at the Dragon."

"I'm busy with an Atlesian Paladin," Coco answered. "But when I get a chance, geez, that thing sure loves the tower. I'll try my best, and hope it works."

"Thank you, but please do hurry." A beep indicated to Coco that the call was ended, and she quickly put the Scroll away.

"_Go on, we're good here,"_ Fox said in her head. _"Velvet heard, and I don't think Yatsuhashi will mind. Go take care of it. But don't be too long."_

She nodded to him, set her gun back into handbag mode, and ran towards Beacon Tower. There shouldn't be anyone in it, but...there were some scorch marks, and that was quite odd.

Something had destroyed the top of the tower awhile ago, and now the top floor was the old headmaster's office. The Grimm spotted her, but it was very old and clearly saw that she was alone, but that would be a distraction. So, it spared her a moment. Coco unfolded her gun, and took aim.

Pouring her semblance into the bullets, she opened fire.

–

It tore off the Grimm Dragon's wing.

-Reactions-

Qrow: "Not bad."

Glynda:_ Nice job. Now don't get yourself killed._

Fox: "_Wait, she tore off it's wing with her bullets?"_

Velvet: _"Yup."_

Cinder: _Salem isn't going to be happy about this...maybe it's time I defect anyways._

Pyrrha: "Thank the gods that thing is gone!"

Neo: _Interesting...is that going to kill it?_

Roman: _Rose, I really wish you could see this._

Ruby: "snore"

-End Reactions-

–

–After Beacon's Fall–

Noteworthy Missing: Team CMSN, Pyrrha Nikos, Ruby Rose, Roman Torchwick, Coco Adel

Dead: Team CDNL, Professor Peach (Beacon)

Many people weren't adjusting. Roman Torchwick had escaped, Coco Adel was presumed dead but not for certain (they brought down the Dragon with the help of her bullets and they would learn, her Semblance). The Dragon had swiped off another layer of the tower, from where she was presumed to be firing from, and there was no evidence that she was alive or dead, as she had simply vanished. It was sufficient to put her team in depression, as apparently two of them were her soulmates, and they disagreed on whether or not she was alive. The three had stuck around for awhile before transferring to Shade in Vacuo.

Ruby Rose had been last seen going to fight Grimm that were flying. She had disappeared without a trace as well.

Pyrrha Nikos had been reported by her leader Jaune Arc as having gone to fight a madwoman. She was only known to be not dead because of his soulmark.

Team CMSN was a skilled team from Haven who evidence suggested as having helped the Fall of Beacon happen.

Roman Torchwick had escaped.

The Headmaster did not know how it had happened.

All this was on the mind of a young woman and a black haired young man. They were young, the woman only about twenty and the young man four years younger, being sixteen. They both bit their lips as they waited for the news report to end.

Grimm all over Remnant had gone savage with anger, and they had found the farm. Oscar's aunt hadn't made it out. Amber had only just gotten there in time to keep him from being killed as well. He was still in shock, but would be okay. Eventually.

–

Far on the other side of Remnant, a silver eyed woman smiled. She was free.

"Now, where are you, Roman?" said Summer, the Blossoming Rose.

–

A/N: Dun Dun DUN! The Fall of Beacon has happened, as well as most of Volume 3 in one chapter. Yeah, the tournament didn't change. Penny is dead (Oh, come on. She gets rebuilt anyways!). But the Fall did. As for what happened to Amber here, I made a slight edit. She woke up a month or so after she was attacked. I get that Cinder stole some of her Aura, but I had already shipped her with Oscar and am not to be deterred.

But that's five lives–Roman, Amber, Pyrrha, Ozpin, and Summer–that I've spared. And so I wish to make the scales even. No, none of Team CDNL counts. They are not sufficient, and in my head they all died anyways. I already paid off one by having a Beacon Professor die. And yeah, Qrow and Winter had a daughter named Sierra Branwen. (Evil Smile)

What else? Oh yeah, I responded to one reviewer and said what Pyrrha's fate would be, but I hadn't fully hashed out the details, so sorry if that was you! And Pyrrha and Cinder are also soulmates. Sorry guys, Achille's Heels is one of my favorite RWBY ships lately. Too much to resist. This was why JNPR wasn't in the hallway scene.

And Coco. I have a vague idea of what I want to do with her, but guess what?


	7. Wildfire's Grief

A/N: I'm back! So, I was thinking about everything that happened in the previous arc, and I realized one very important thing–I didn't keep true to my summary! I have seen fanfics that were cut off literally right before they got to the good part. Like, one called _Alias_ cut off after six chapters and before Yang could meet Ruby and Blake! It hasn't been updated in three or four years, and the vast majority of what we're promised hasn't happened. And something similar was happening with Black Widows, so I changed the summary!

Oh, and this is a transition chapter showing a little bit of how many people were affected by the Fall of Beacon with my changes, like the last part of the last chapter of Volume 3. And lastly, I'm going to use songs here, not sure which right now so see end note for them.

–

_I'd understand, if you'd rather not_

_Talk about this..._

_There's always a chance, that we might remain_

_In ignorant bliss..._

Jaune, Nora, and Ren:

Silence.

They had lost Pyrrha to almost certain death nearly twelve hours prior. Missing, in that place, was as good as dead. The only comfort was that Jaune's soulmark was still bright red, but given the situation in Team CFVY that wasn't much.

None of them were in the mood to speak.

Jaune was desperately hoping his mark didn't go out, practically praying for Pyrrha's safety. Remembering her had since become bitter and caused his heart to ache. But he couldn't help it.

Nora was still in denial that they had lost her at all. Pyrrha had been a sister to her. Team JNPR, fierce and brave, had had one important quality–they were _family._ Especially for Nora. Ren still remembered his parents a little. She didn't.

Ren wasn't even trying to calm down for once. Pyrrha Nikos was gone. Yes, Jaune's soulmark was still active, but she was still as good as gone, and this was not a time to be calming down.

–

_Most of the time, we coast along,_

_Safe from the storm..._

_Follow our hearts, trust what feels right,_

_Keep to the norm!_

Weiss, Blake, and Yang:

Weiss had left. Blake had left. Yang was on a digital hunt for Ruby. All had different thoughts on their minds.

Weiss: _I don't quite belong in Atlas. I belong at Beacon. Just a few hours ago, I thought that Beacon was gone. But now, I understand. Beacon lives on because we won't let it die. And my soulmates...are they okay? Emerald? Neo? Where are you?_

Blake: _Ruby...I'm sorry. I wish I could go look for you with Yang. But I can't. I have to go home. It's been so many years. I need to reunite with my parents, my...family. I don't want to leave Yang, but she's safer this way. This way, I can go reunite with my family without worrying for Yang's safety. She's a strong girl._

Yang: _Why did Ruby leave? Now I have to look _everywhere _to find her. She didn't take an airship out, she wasn't on any security footage, she only accessed one locker (thank you Professor Goodwitch) which I can't trace, and she was last seen fighting Grimm! And her soulmate is missing! _My _soulmate is missing! Oh, Blake...Ruby...please be safe!_

–

_We are lucky if our lives can avoid it!_

_But fear changes all of our_

_Choices!_

Emerald and Mercury:

They were not having a good time. Neo and Cinder were missing, although Neo was certainly with her boss, as always, they hadn't the slightest idea where Cinder could have gone. Being different people with incompatible personalities, they elected to do different things.

Emerald: _Cinder will be okay. She's strong. Weiss, I have got to find. She's not that strong, she'll break under pressure. Neo will be okay too, but if I get word of her arrest or capture, I'll help her. But Weiss first. After all, what are soulmates for?_

Mercury: _Dunno what I'll do. Maybe it's about time I get another job. Except for one thing, the Adel girl. I have a score to settle with her. I may have won the fight, but she creeps me out for some reason. Who the heck holds back during a Vytol Festival Tournament match? Especially THAT MUCH? I know what I felt when I hit her!_

–

_Who Will You See?!_

_There in the darkness!_

_When no-one is watching,_

_Who Will You Be?_

Summer Rose smiled at the night sky. It was three days after she had escaped, and apparently three days after the Fall of Beacon. She was alone, in the northern part of Vacuo. Smiling as she cut down the three dozen or so mole crabs without difficulty.

Still, she needed to find her family.

–

_When You're Afraid!_

_And everything changes,_

_Will you see a stranger?_

_Feel Proud, or Betray?_

Roman and Neo:

The Bullhead was full of silence. Of course, there was the sound of the Bullhead itself working. That was given. Ruby had woken an hour ago, and Roman had long since got her to understand that she was safe, and going with them meant finding her mother. So she was with them. Neo had begged Roman in sign to get Emerald, and save Weiss, but he had firmly told her that they had to get away first.

Roman: _Neo, I'm sorry. I know you want to find Emerald and Weiss. I want to find Summer. Ruby wants to find Summer. But we can't do that until we're in the clear, away from the police's prying eyes. Then we can be free, free to do whatever we want. So we're going to Vacuo. Get a good foothold there, a better one this time, then we'll see._

_Neo: Roman's alive, why can't he understand? I can't bear it if my soulmates died. They will! Emerald and Weiss are alive, I know it. I can't let them die, but I can't abandon Roman, either. And Ruby...sweet girl, is she alive too? I think so. I can almost resent Weiss and Emerald for this._

–

_Never really had a problem with you._

_All along I thought our friendship was true!_

_Put my trust in you right from the start._

_I never thought you would be my enemy,_

_The knife to take my heart!_

A young woman lay on a cot, out in the wilderness, with nobody else around but the one who had brought her here. The woman on the cot had bright scarlet hair and green eyes, although her hair had been dyed black. Next to her sat a woman just a few years older who had black hair and amber gold eyes.

The woman in the cot stirred. "...Where am I?"

"Safe."

Her eyes snapped open at the voice. "Where's Jaune?! Nora, Ren?!"

The woman beside her put one of her hands behind the frightened girl's head. "They are safe, Pyrrha. Alive and well, although they probably miss you. I looked a few hours ago, they appear to think you dead."

"Jaune's soulmark..."

"Pyrrha." The woman's eyes softened. "The Grimm dragon, do you remember?" Pyrrha nodded. "It was powerful. They needed a lot more power to take it down, so they asked a second year Beacon student to help. Her semblance allows for very powerful shots with her gun. With her help, they defeated the dragon. But not before it crashed into Beacon Tower. That girl is missing and presumed dead. She had two soulmates, and only one still has their soulmark."

"So...they know it could be faulty?" Pyrrha asked desperately. "I...I need to get back to them, Cinder!"

"No," Cinder said firmly. "You need to rest. Besides, that isn't an option. Not right now."

"What do you mean?"

"They decided to proclaim all those missing as dead. You going back would only serve to make the problem worse."

"...Who's missing?"

"My team, you, Ruby Rose, Roman Torchwick, and that girl, Coco Adel," Cinder told her gloomily. "I am positive that all of the 'missing' are alive, though."

A new flame was lit in Pyrrha's eyes. "So they aren't looking for anybody?"

"No."

"Then let them pay the price," Pyrrha vowed angrily.

–

_Late at night I can hear the crying,_

_I hear it all trying to fall asleep._

_When all the love around you is dying,_

_How do you stay so strong?_

_How did you hide it all for so long?_

_How can I take the pain away?_

_How can I save–_

The two women did not agree by any means. They were opposites, and it came through in everything. White hair, black hair. Blue eyes, red eyes. Atlas specialist, bandit leader. Winter Schnee, Raven Branwen. But for now, they had to work together. They had a job to do. They had to find Sierra Branwen.

Winter however, was certain that there was something Raven was hiding. She could only describe the bandit leader as a fallen angel. Qrow had told her many stories of their childhood back when they were still together, and Raven in those stories had been a true angel. Winter was determined to help her former sister in law.

–

_A Fallen Angel!_

_In the dark!_

_Never thought you'd fall so far!_

_Fallen Angel!_

_Close your eyes!_

_I won't let you fall tonight!_

Nora Valkyrie.

There was something off about her, Qrow was certain of it. Something...wrong, almost. No, not wrong, familiar. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen her before. Where, though, he wasn't certain. She had gotten super pissed at the world over the past few days, and there was something about the girl that made him make sure that she was safe. He had asked Glynda to keep him posted about Team JNR, as he had to make sure that Amber and Oscar were alright. Amber was a bit like a daughter to him, and he wanted to be absolutely sure Oscar wouldn't hurt her.

He just hoped that Nora would be alright. He had each member of her team, including Nora herself, on speed dial. But he hadn't labeled Nora with her name, oh no. She was entitled 'Fallen Angel N'.

For some reason.

–

_Legends Scatter!_

_Day and Night will sever!_

_Hope and Peace are lost forever!_

Blink.

What?

The girl got up, blinking madly. It was almost pitch black. She seemed to be in a cave...and there seemed to be glowing crystals all around. Dust, was it called?

...How did she get here? Where was she?

..._who_ was she?

–

A/N: Songs I used are _Fear, War, Fallen Angel,_ and _This Will Be the Day. Fallen Angel _is not a RWBY song, but I wanted to make it fit. So!

I decided to talk about the missing people in this chapter. And yes, we have an amnesiac. You can probably guess who. But let me clear things up on this front. It's retrograde amnesia, which has to do with the loss of memories. Specifically, we're looking at episodic and not semantic amnesia; experiences and events are lost, but not knowledge. They haven't been to that cave before though, so it's not recognized. I might end up throwing in antrograde, excuse me if I spelled ghat wrong, which is inability to form memories. (Evil Smile) I'm going to try to replicate actual amnesia rather than make up a version. Apologies if I get it wrong.

Dark Pyrrha. I just had to. She won't be an antogonist, she's a protagonist, one of the many so far, but I'm going to try to narrow the field. Probably won't much, though.

Fact-Drop: When Ruby said that it was impossible to feel negative toward your soulmate? She was wrong. Raven has a soulmark, and her soulmate is a Faunus. We have already met Nora's family.

(And I'll probably only do Fact-Drop a few times. I just love cliffhangers.)


	8. Breaking the Chains

A/N: This chapter will focus on our Main 4: Cinder, Ruby, Pyrrha, and Coco. Also, poll on my page for those interested.

_By the way, Scroll text will be in italics and underlined._

–

Cinder didn't have much of a choice. The only safe place was far away, where Salem couldn't get her. An old safehouse in the wilds of Mistral. No tech nearby for Watts to hack. Just her and Pyrrha.

Maybe, they would be okay while Pyrrha healed. She had after all just met a conflicting soulmate, so it was understandable. But they needed food. Cinder would have to hunt.

–

Run. What was she supposed to do? This all felt so wrong. She couldn't place it, but there was an irrepressible feeling that she was not where she was supposed to be.

It was five days since she had woken up. Apparently. Before that, there was nothing. But she wasn't in a cavern anymore. Rather, she was racing through a forest with red grass and leaves. Forever Fall. When had she been here before?

Almost as soon as the thought crossed her mind, it was cut off, leaving her disoriented, and she stumbled. The Beowolf chasing her caught up, and she punched it best she could, her caramel Aura slamming it hard. She had no idea how she knew that it was called Aura, she just knew. She didn't know why it was caramel, either. Why that color?

The device that she had woken up next to had been a huge help, or at least according to all she had written. The past was a chalk-dust-covered slate, blurred over the last five days and blank before that. A Scroll, she was pretty sure. She had not believed most of what it said, and had gotten rid of most of it. But it was useful for recording stuff as it happened.

And the Beowolf was being a thorn in her side. Of course. She grabbed the sharp metal 'knife' and whirled around, plunging it into the Grimm.

–

Poke.

Ruby stirred, and groaned. How long had it been since she had woken up in the Bullhead? Four months? That sounded about right. But she wasn't in the Bullhead anymore. She was in the city of Vacuo, with her two...companions? Friends...family? She wasn't sure.

Poke.

Ruby's eyes snapped open, and she glared up at Neo, the girl who now treated her as a sister rather than an enemy. Maybe they were family; her 'sister' seemed to think so. Neo was getting her umbrella ready for another poke. Though the blade wasn't out, she could still pack a punch, and the pokes hurt.

"Alright, alright, I'm up, you can stop poking me," Ruby moaned. She was deftly grabbed and yanked to her feet in response, causing her to yelp. Her legs collapsed and she crumbled to the floor, or at least would have if Neo didn't have one arm under Ruby's shoulders.

Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Ruby was welcomed by the scorching Vacuo sunlight, pouring into her room. The kingdom of Vacuo was a vastly lawless place, making it safer for the three people fleeing Vale. A tanned hand waved in front of Ruby's face.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, Remnant to Ruby," she muttered. Neo shoved her Scroll in Ruby's face.

_Dad says that breakfast is ready. Get dressed and get to breakfast. And do remember today that as soon as we open the door, it's Dad and Mint, and you're Nyx._

"'Kay," Ruby said, and as she was now awake and aware that breakfast was waiting, Neo left Ruby to get dressed. Nyx was a good choice of name.

Ruby enjoyed wearing a white jacket that went down just past her waist, a short black ribbon she had once found keeping it from hanging at her sides. She wore a loose dark purple top under it, and belted black jean shorts. Her boots were knee-length and a lighter purple. She had a black bandanna around her head, and the only rose in the entire ensemble was hidden. It was a tattoo on her back. Her hair was now the color of violets. Neo wore an almost identical outfit, but she had snowflakes everywhere and rather than black, white, and purple, Neo wore mint green, indigo, and silver. A far cry from her previous pink, brown, and creamy white, but Roman had insisted that she at the very least change her color palette, and she even styled her hair to be mint green and short and spiky. Neither truly resembled her past self. Both girls now had tanned skin from the past three months in Vacuo.

Their 'adoptive father', as they were saying, Roman, now went by Vern Sage. Apparently it was a completely random name, and referred to Vernal, which meant spring, and the common sage plant, so generally referred to green. He now preferred to wear a gray tunic along with a hat that shielded his eyes from the sun. Dark green cargo shorts were also a part of his outfit, and he had also dyed his hair and styled it. It now went back, and was spiky. The coloring was now black with Neo's same mint green on the tips. They looked like a normal family.

Nyx Rose Sage. Mint Summer Sage. Vern Sage.

At breakfast the three had a sort of oatmeal and a small apple each. It was small but the oatmeal was filling, and they all enjoyed it.

"So, girls," Roman said once they had all finished, "today we need to visit the market. We're low on groceries, and also today is a bit of a farmer's market. Which means fruit, and plants in general, as well as more meat."

_There's a festival tonight, and we can go. It's five Lien entry per person, and lots is happening._

"Maybe, Mint. Also, we need to drop our old names completely. We cannot be caught saying our old names. So, it's Nyx, Mint and Vern all the time now, even here at home and on our Scrolls. Nyx, you can call me Dad. It's fine. I've already gone through our Scrolls completely and changed all names and updated the pictures. Nyx, you need to paint your scythe. Now much, but changing the red to white or something like that goes a long way, trust me. Mint, again change the colors of your parasol. And both of you need to change your weapon's name. I've already done all this with my cane, now called Arabian Night." He clapped his hands together. "Any questions?"

"Why all at once? What's going on?"

With a sigh, he explained. "Well, I'm a little worried. Apparently one Yang Xiao Long is learning to hack, and she's trying her damnedest to find us, or more specifically, Nyx. Doing this will at least throw her off. And Nyx, thank you for dying your hair purple. It was a lot of permanent dye to change all of our hair colors, but it'll be worth it. Come on, let's go."

–

-Flashback-

_Pyrrha groaned as her wounds and lack of Aura set in as her adrenaline faded after the fight. Cinder, surprisingly strong, took the girl in her arms. Pyrrha was truly beautiful. Even in her battle weary state, her scarlet red, swirly ponytail was beautiful, and her outfit only made her look even better. Though she would look beautiful in black. Cinder could feel Ruby. She was unconscious. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she felt Ruby being picked up by somebody, and handled gently. If they were handling Ruby gently, then they were probably not going to hurt her. She could take care of Pyrrha._

_The trick would be leaving unnoticed with a girl in her arms._

-End Flashback-

Cinder shook her head free of memories. She had managed to leave without any survivors noticing her. Only one person had, and they were speared by a sword moments later.

It was five months since the Fall of Beacon. She and Pyrrha were presumed dead. Pyrrha had woken up the second time clothed in black, and as Cinder thought, it was a good look on her. They was back to full health now, and thus the two were making their way to the city. No, they were not going to make their presence obvious. Cinder had cut and styled Pyrrha's hair, and the young champion had done the same for Cinder. As a result, Pyrrha now had shoulder length and straight cut black hair. Her bangs had similar treatment, but she wore a cloak anyways. Cinder on the other hand, had long, wavy ashen black hair that had a blue tint to it in some places, as Pyrrha had used blue flowers to messily dye her hair. She did not require a cloak, looking sufficiently different from her former self with the outfit and hair change.

So now the two girls were wondering what to do.

Pyrrha was quiet, but wanted to go to Vale. Cinder most certainly did not want to go to Vale. Vale meant Huntsmen, veteran Huntsmen at that.

"You're in no condition to travel anyways, Pyrrha," Cinder said. It was true; Pyrrha was not doing so well. Cinder winced, remembering what had happened to hurt Pyrrha this much.

–

-Flashback-

_The two turned to face the elevator when it opened. Apparently it had 'fallen' down after Pyrrha had made use of it and been used by none other than the Headmaster. "Now this I find interesting."_

_Cinder immediately positioned herself in front of Pyrrha, causing a slight look of confusion on the Headmaster's face before he attacked Cinder. It took the victim less than a second to mentally point out that he was attacking her specifically. Not Pyrrha._

_Speaking of Pyrrha, she had Milo and Akouo back now and wondered what to do. The Huntress in her yelled at her to help the Headmaster, but the girl under the mask was whispering to her to do the opposite. As in help Cinder. One of two soulmates she had._

_That was when an idea struck her._

_She put her weapons away and stomped one foot on the floor. Neither combatant noticed. With a frown she activated her semblance and with a push, shook the gears slightly. That was noticed, as the two were in a bit of a standstill._

_Meeting their gazes, Pyrrha spoke her mind._

"Some legends are told.

Some turn to dust or to gold.

But you will remember me!

Remember me, for centuries!

And just one mistake

Is all it will take!

We'll go down in history!

Remember me, for centuries!"

_With that, she plunged into battle, having taken Milo and Akouo from their places as she finished. But nobody else would ever quite realize the true distinction from that moment. Pyrrha understood now. So much was wrong._

_Time to banish the Huntress in her mind._

-End Flashback-

–

Looking back at the huge place (Beacon, she seemed to remember), the girl narrowed her eyes as a brief flash of memory surged over her mind.

-Flashback-

"_Coco Adel, Fox Alistair, Velvet Scarlatina, Yatsuhashi Daichi," Professor Ozpin droned._

_Each of them looked up as their faces and names appeared on the screens and rearranged themselves._

"_The four of you retrieved the suit of hearts. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CFVY, led by Coco Adel."_

"_What?" Coco and Velvet said together._

_The new team considered one another thoughtfully._

_Yatsuhashi looked up at their pictures. "Team CFVY," he said. "I'm a tea drinker, but I like the sound of that."_

_Velvet did too._

"This is going to be fun," _Fox sent to his new teammates for the first time._

_Velvet yelped when she heard his voice in her head. Coco's mouth fell open. Yatsu looked as placid as ever, as if he'd been expecting all of this._

_Fox smiled and winked. _"Yeah, that's a thing I can do."

-End Flashback-

The girl sucked in a breath at the memory. Was that really what had happened? Then her brow furrowed. The seconds ticked on, and the vivid memory stayed in her head. That was odd. Normally they disappeared by this point.

There was the slightest rustle behind her, and she whipped around to see what it was, but there was nothing. It was still as a grave. The analogy sent a shiver down her spine. She narrowed her eyes and walked away from Beacon, not once noticing the concerned brown eyes watching from the forest.

–

The sisters, Nyx and Mint, were busy. The dying sunlight shone through the curtains and into the room they were in, and it was a good thing that the curtains were there, not because of the sunlight, but because of the people bound to catch a glimpse of what they were up to.

They finally had the time to work on their weapons. It was a drawn-out process.

Nyx tightened a screw in her beloved scythe. It was going to undergo a change in paint, and she had promised to use it a bit differently; moves unique to her were now forbidden. Nyx was thinking a deep purple in place of the red and a silvery white where the black was. Of course, that meant that she would have to remove ALL the paint first, but that could be done. She had thought long and hard about the name, and eventually decided upon Dawning Omen.

On the other hand, her sister Mint was a different story. Hush was a parasol; she had already selected Beauty's Shadow for it's new name; but it was the recoloring that was getting her. In the end, she decided to replace the 'lace' with a differently colored version. In truth, the 'lace' of her parasol was made entirely of metal, just strands of the stuff woven together in just such a fashion that it was graceful and strong, even without her Aura added.

It took Mint three hours to weave enough of the metal lace to do her parasol. The metal was already colored in the spruce green and black color scheme she had chosen; the armor like plating at the edge of the parasol was now silver. Vern had had a laugh when it was revealed that both sisters had chosen silver as part of the color scheme for their weapons.

–

"You girls ready?"

Nyx looked up from her painting. "Almost, Dad." She gave a slight shiver. "Still feels kinda odd."

In contrast, Mint jumped up and displayed her newly recolored parasol Beauty's Shadow.

_It's called Beauty's Shadow; Nyx chose Dawning Omen._

"Nice names, girls. Nyx, how much longer do you need? I've decided that we're going to the festival."

"Just a few more minutes. I just have to finish applying this one last coat of sealant," she told him.

"Great, Nyx. Mint, you're using Beauty's Shade as a normal parasol tonight, unless you get attacked. But no starting a fight. Stay close, girls. We don't need you two getting hurt, much less it revealed that you have Aura. That can cause problems, because no normal people have Aura. Trained in combat is one thing, but having Aura is another entirely. Understand?" Dad asked.

With a nod from the two girls and a paintbrush washing from Ruby, they set out to see the festival.

–

A/N: Woah! Originally I was going to do a quick double update, but 2546 words before Author's Notes is a chapter for me. I just couldn't stop adding. A few things; our amnesiac's flashback is a direct quote from RWBY: After the Fall. The snippet of song that Pyrrha sings is from Centuries.

Also, I'm sorry I haven't been updating my other stories. I'm a bit disillusioned with Ruby Witch. As for Loki's Daughter, I'm actually about to get started on that.

Ciao! :)


End file.
